China has intensified its economic engagement with Pakistan by cultivating influential political elites. But the deeper story of Chinese inroads is the diversification of ties to local stakeholders, notably in the education, media, and energy sectors.
China has intensified its economic engagement with Pakistan by cultivating influential political elites. But the deeper story of Chinese inroads is the diversification of ties to local stakeholders, notably in the education, media, and energy sectors.
Universities shouldnât wait for Marise Payneâs axe to fall on China-funded institutes
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By Salvatore Babones
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The universities canât squirm out of it this time. Last year, all 13 Australian universities that host China-funded Confucius Institutes declined to register them under the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme. Some even tweaked their contracts with the Chinese government to avoid having to register on technicalities.
The government was not amused.
Last December, the Australiaâs Foreign Relations Act, or AFRA, removed any ambiguity: it gave universities six months to declare any âwritten arrangement, agreement, contract, understanding or undertakingâ with any foreign government or any foreign university that âdoes not have institutional autonomyâ.